12 Projects: Tree Topper

When I was in first grade, we made angel tree toppers in girl scouts.  We put glue on some white fabric, wrapped it around a cone, and added a styrofoam head and ridiculous curly doll hair. Until recent years, when she's opted for a smaller tree, my mother has used my first grade angel to top the tree every year.

Since I purchased my slim tree, I've used a number of different things for tree toppers.  I've used a dollar store twig star, a wire reindeer, and various other home made solutions.  In short, i've been too cheap to purchase a store bought topper.  As I mentioned in the post about glittery candles, I'm really into the glitter trend that has been adding to Christmas sparkle, and I wanted to bring that to my tree topper.

My homemade, stash supply using, sparkly star tree topper!

Supplies used:

Cereal Box

Tacky Glue

Modge Podge

craft glitter (large and fine)

Felt

Scissors, paint brush and a Sharpie.  I realize I leave these basic tools off the supply lists a lot.  I imagine you lot are bright enough to cut things with scissors, but perhaps I should be more thorough?  Thoughts?

I followed this tutorial from The Glue Gun Girl to make cardboard stars out of a cereal box.  I had a really hard time drawing an even star, but I kind of like that my stars turned out imperfect.  If you need a perfect star, she links to some free star templates.  You don't actually need two for this project, I figured I could use the second one elsewhere.

Instead of painting a solid color, I mixed Modge Podge with glitter.  I started out with the same big gold glitter I used on my pinecone mini tree, but the spaces between the glitter flecks were too big, so I added a bunch of the Martha Stewart glitter in yellow gold and bronze.  

I painted it on my stars!  I was a little worried that the modge podge would get rid of some of the sparkle, or wouldn't cover the purple sharpie lines, so I laid it on pretty thickly.  I left my stars to dry overnight.

For the tree topper base, I made a cardboard cone using my mini tree tutorial.  I covered it in green felt, so it would blend in to the green tree.  

My star after drying.  Still sparkly, and not shedding glitter.  Success!  I did have to refold all the creases, as the weight of the modge podge flattened the shape a bit and made the cardboard a bit rubbery.  

I put glue on the tip of the cone and stuck it to the back of the star.  I also cut a little rectangle of felt, smeared it with glue, and wrapped it around the top of the cone and flat against the inside of the star. 

I let this dry for a few hours, glittery side down.

The star in it's new home on my tree.  I find it's imperfections charming, and a lot more me than something perfect.  

What do you guys top your tree with?  Where do you stand on the Angel/Star debate, or do you go with something entirely different?  

Missed something?  Check out The 12 Projects of Christmas.